Firemouth

[polomax24]

The show male.
http://home.socal.rr.com/caltech/ShowFH.JPG

http://home.socal.rr.com/caltech/showfh1.JPG

The one (female somewhat low quality) I picked up at this LFS half year ago.
http://home.socal.rr.com/caltech/subfh.JPG

I really like the colors on the male, the red covers half of his gills. The fins were really long until one of the vieja gave him a trim. The fins are slowly growing back.

[morrow5150]

is it agresive

[polomax24]

The male is about 4" TL and female is about 3.5 TL. No, they are not aggressive at all. They like to flare their gills to scare off other fish. IMO, all bluff.

[dialphantom]

there preatty

[bosshawg]

about how much do firemouths cost and do they get along wit otha fish?

[Miles]

They are cheap.. just like most common cichlids.

They are less aggressive then most Cichlids, but again they are still Cichlids. They will likely beat up on your other fish, especially if they want to mate. I have had luck keeping them with a variety of things, but you need to be careful with your tankmates. I would say they are one of the most 'laid-back' C. American cichlids, and only reach a max size of 6-8".. Actually, I could be wrong on that max size..not positive. But they don't get huge atleast!

Interesting factoid about firemouths.. In the wild they come from very murky waters, and they are TRUE bluffers. If you look at the 'eye-spots' on their gill plates, they serve as a defense mechanism. When a Firemouth encounters another fish in dark, murky waters.. It will flare its bright-red gills, which will then show the eye-spots. This will give the intruding fish the impression there is a very large, aggressive, red Cichlid nearby.. This will usually cause most other fish to retreat.

This is also why Green Terrors have the vibrant green around their face, to ward off intruders in murky waters.

Some fish have eye-spots towards their tail, to confuse predators as to which end is the 'front'..


Hasta,

Miles

[polomax24]

Yes, firemouth is really common and cheap. You usually see babies in any LFS. However, any well kept adult Thorichthys specie is hardly available.

I used to have an adult blue T. Aureus.
http://home.socal.rr.com/caltech/bluear.JPG

[sandtiger]

Some fish have eye-spots towards their tail, to confuse predators as to which end is the 'front'.

Oscars!!!! :hearts: Yeah....I am one of the few members here that like em...wanna make something of it?

great firemouths, they look larger then you said they are. I have seen a lot of firemouth pictures that actually turned out smaller then what I though. I just got two firemouths about two weeks ago, I love them so far. I wanted an easy to breed cichlid...other then convicts.

[Miles]

Woot. Oscars...Whatever makes ya happy ;)

Easy to breed, no Kidding! My pair puts off like 1000 fry a month..

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=2/medium/Firemouths_005.jpg (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=2/medium/Firemouths_005.jpg)

[DRaGoNoVA]

solid coloration on tt firemouth

[STONEDFISH]

Wow, it's odd, the Firemouth I have is quite aggressive.......one of the grumpiest fish I've had.

[rybapsych]

I have kept them many times with little to no aggression. Even in a community tank with small fish they did no damage. Pretty cool fish, not really tough enough to hang with the big boys though.

[sandtiger]

No...not very aggresive, its mostly show. But I tell you...when two firemouths don't get along they make it known. Getting a pair is actually a hard thing to do and you may loose some fish doing it.

[Peanut_Power]

Vieja gave it a trim...lol...love that...er...you mean the Paratheraps...lol

[Thomas_Hung]

Wow, it's odd, the Firemouth I have is quite aggressive.......one of the grumpiest fish I've had.


Haha yea my firemouth is the grumpiest fish I have right now too!! He is constantly flarring and chasing around my plecos... one time he picked up one of my plecos and tossed it across the tank!! haha